1. Field
The present disclosure generally relates to communication of information from a host device to a receiving device via white space and, more specifically, to interfacing a white space device with a host device.
2. Background
The Federal Communications Committee (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that is charged with regulating all non-federal government use of the radio spectrum (including radio and television (TV) broadcasting), and all interstate telecommunications (wire, satellite and cable) as well as all international communications that originate or terminate in the United States. In 2008, the FCC issued rules approving the unlicensed signal operation in the unused TV channels (i.e., white space). However, this approved, unlicensed use is subject to protections set in place for the primary users of the TV band. The primary users of the TV band are ATSC/National Television System Committee (NTSC) transmitters, such as TV broadcasters, and licensed wireless microphones. The new rules allow wireless technologies to use the white space as long as the technology and any resulting signal transmissions do not interfere with the existing primary users. Thus, periodic sensing is required to detect other signals. For purposes of this disclosure, the various devices that utilize such technologies to access this white space will be referred to as “white space devices,” “unlicensed devices,” or the like.
Wireless delivery of content to televisions (TVs) and other monitors is desirable. As one example, it may be desirable, in some instances, to have content delivered from a user device for output on a TV device. For instance, as compared with many TV device output capabilities, many portable user devices, such as mobile telephones, personal data assistants (PDAs), media player devices (e.g., APPLE IPOD devices, other MP3 player devices, etc.), laptop computers, notebook computers, etc., have limited/constrained output capabilities, such as small display size, etc. A user desiring, for instance, to view a video on a portable user device may gain an improved multimedia experience if the video content were delivered for output on a TV device. Accordingly, a user may desire in some instances to deliver the content over white space from a user device for output on a monitor with an ATSC tuner (e.g., HDTV device) for an improved multimedia experience in receiving (e.g., viewing and/or hearing) the content. However, the transmission to the television device over white space requires sensing which would interfere with the multimedia experience.